Back in August I started my first G&S group, to say that I was excited to walk through this new journey with some of my friends was an understatement. I couldn't wait to see the transformation begin to happen in their lives. After a few weeks some of my girls started talking about running in the ever popular Color Run. Several of the girls were from Florida, so they decided to sign up for the race and run it together. I honestly was quite surprised to hear them making such awesome plans so early in their journey with G&S. It took me a long time to get motivated to want to work out, or to see that it could actually be fun. My girls really inspired me to want to look into more events that could physically challenge me.

It took me a long time to get motivated to want to work out, or to see that it could actually be fun.

Here's a little preview of what Stacy and Michelle's first Color Run experience was like:

---

I was excited to get up and run on Sunday, January 13^th. I was participating in my very first Color Run with a dear friend that I met through Grace and Journey. I got up early and drove to Orlando where I met up with Michelle and her family. I knew instantly that it was going to be a great day. Michelle had made us matching "Color Run" shirts. We drove over to the Citrus Bowl where the race was being held and found our way to the starting line. We were lined up for about an hour before the race started but this race was unlike any other I had participated in. Michelle and I took our before pictures to prove that we started the race nice and clean. We were both laughing and being silly in our pictures. The crowd was so fun! At the starting line, there was a dance party, we did the wave and even participated in a conga line before the start of the race. When it was time to run, it was a lot of fun. We made our way through each color: pink, yellow, blue, and orange. As we were approaching each color, we would move towards the side where people were throwing the color at the runners so that we would get as much color on us as possible. Michelle shared with our Grace and Strength group that she had not been able to run 3 miles since 2008 and her goal was to be able to run the entire race at the color run. She was faster than I was; she ran the entire race in under 30 minutes! She backed tracked after crossing the finish line and ran through the finish line again with me a few minutes later. When we crossed the finish line we were covered in colors. There was a band and people were throwing more colors at each after the race. Michelle and I took our after pictures. It was most fun I have had at race yet and we decided that we would make the Color Run an annual event!

---

Before I started my own G&S journey I refused to go to work out classes or join anything that would be physically demanding on my body. It wasn't so much that I didn't want to do it, or that it was too hard for me .... it was that I had zero confidence in thinking that I shoulddo it. Who

Now looking back I know the enemy was trying to speak lies into my life.... the saddest part is that I listened to them.

would want to watch some fat girl like me try to balance her way through some crazy work out? Now looking back I know the enemy was trying to speak lies into my life.... the saddest part is that I listened to them. So now that I've re-discovered myself I enjoy signing up for classes, runs etc. It really is A LOT of fun! And it provides an opportunity to make new friendships. It doesn't matter what size you are, how athletic you think you are ... or not, the important thing is to MOVE, and it have FUN doing it! So I really encourage you to look into a new class, boot camp, run, whatever it may be and challenge yourself to do something new.

Let the googling of fun things to try begin! Let us know how it goes!

---

* Individual results may vary.